Short Story Long

It's hard to get up early when you stay up late!  But the mornings I do get up early, I really enjoy being out back in the yard.  It's the best time to weed, of course, and I find it to be a soothing contemplative activity.  During the summer, as I am sure I've previously mentioned, it is lovely to sit out back and sip - hot tea in the morning, cool beverage in the evening, and hear the city just beyond view, the birds and insects within view.  A better place to read, knit or visit is hard to find.   Some of the things we've harvested so far this year include sugar snap peas... Sugar snap peas are the first things we plant, at the end of March.  They're a cold-season vegetable, and just when I think I can stand winter no more, I can start my garden.  A few years, I have forgotten to start these soon enough, but luckily not this year.  We had some warm weather in early spring, so we dug up a bed and turned over soil, and planted two row...

Recently it was noted that I don't do a good job of keeping up on my blog.  So true.  And I really love my blog.  It has been a pivotal project in my creative life.  As a stay-at-home-mom with three very small boys, I felt isolated from other artsy-crafters when I began this blog, and isolated from friends in general.  And then I discovered blogging, and suddenly my world opened up.  This new-found world also changed how I viewed my photography - both literally and philosophically.  And unlike many other bloggers, I've never not wanted to blog, I've never wanted to stop.  I just... get busy.  I actually got so busy, I forgot my new password for awhile - yikes!   A little of what I've got going on...  Knitting like crazy, of course.  I just finished a hat design for a friend, which turned into a pattern, just in time for a deadline.  After that, I finished a smoke ring (cowl) design, which I want to keep, but won't. ...

The last knitting project I've finished is my Halligarth Shawl .   I am in the process of writing several patterns, including a few shawls, and I thought how easy it would be to take something on a trip that was someone else's pattern.  You know, where the many details were decided, and all I had to select were the yarn, color and size.  I would not have to worry about keeping notes; so I dug this yarn out of my stash, which I'd had in mind for this pattern.   Well being lace, it was not quite as easy-to-travel as I had planned, but it ended up being a great a lot of fun.  And I did not have to take notes.  Whenever I wear it, I will always be reminded of my trip to Seattle with my friend Gerri.  It is currently in the shop, luring in knitters looking for a new shawl or lace class, but I look forward to getting it back soon.   Details Designer:   Gudrun Johnston Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal, about 810 yds C...

I keep meaning to get back here and I keep forgetting my password because it's been so long!   So for today, spring blossoms and one of my all-time favorite quotes, from Mother Teresa. 

I posted the other day about one of my patterns, Margin .  Here's more technical info on that!  The pattern is available from Windy Valley Muskox but we are working on the website - hopefully wrapped up shortly. Yarns I used: -purple is WVM Merino in 7015 Thai Basil, one skein.  This merino is heavenly, I also have stranded mittens in this fiber! -gray is WVM Majestic Blend in 5030 Fog Bank, two skeins.  This yarn is a blend of silk, merino, and qiviut .   I have designed a cute hat with this one before. This pattern uses just about every inch of these yarns!  That's a total of about 650 - 670 yards.   You can find more info on the Ravelry pattern page, here . I also had it test knit.  Olivia did beautiful work with this, including lovely in-progress and finished pictures.  So pretty, I had to share with you: Here's her finished shawl, I swiped this picture from Ravelry (with permission.)  Gorgeous, right?

I've been meaning to post a lot more about my knitting projects, but it always seems like I have too much or not enough to say.  So today's the day! If you know me at all, you know I LOVE knitting.  I like it so much, it might be a problem.  I wash the dishes so I can use the sink to soak finished pieces; I do the laundry so I can have towels to block my projects on.  I clean the house so I can find all the yarn I've left various places!  I found my Thing in life; that Thing that makes me feel like I was born to do something specific.  I definitely knew it was not science!  I'm good at a lot of things, and I know not everyone can say that.  But for me, knitting is the thing that I'm great at, that flows with little effort and lots of joy. Along with personal fulfillment, knitting has opened up a world of opportunities for me - meeting people, making money in several ways (teaching, test knitting, contract knitting), expanding my photogra...